Captain Alonzo Cushing’s Last Stand at Cemetery Ridge

Feb 19 , 2026

Captain Alonzo Cushing’s Last Stand at Cemetery Ridge

Bloodied hands gripping cold iron, a single cannon roars defiance as the blue lines break and fall. Mortally wounded, Captain Alonzo Cushing keeps that artillery piece firing. The roar does not fade until death claims him—and even then, his gun doesn’t fall silent. This moment at Cemetery Ridge, July 3, 1863, carves his name into the thunder of Gettysburg and the soul of America’s fight for unity.

The Making of a Soldier: Faith and Honor Forged in Wisconsin Soil

Alonzo H. Cushing was born in 1841, Delafield, Wisconsin—raised in a family steeped in faith and principle. Son of a prominent Episcopal clergyman, discipline and duty were the bedrock of his upbringing. To serve was not a choice; it was a calling. The Civil War erupted just as Cushing finished West Point, Class of 1861, thrusting him into the bloody baptism of a nation tearing itself apart.

His faith was not quiet. It danced in the background of every decision, a steady compass through chaos. Letters home speak of reliance on divine strength: “I pray for courage and the strength to do my duty.” For Cushing, holy conviction and military discipline were inseparable.

The Battle That Defined Him: July 3, 1863, Gettysburg

The Battle of Gettysburg was a hellstorm. For three days, Union and Confederate forces clashed on Pennsylvania soil with brutal tenacity. Captain Cushing commanded Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery—five guns anchored on the southern slope of Cemetery Ridge.

On the third day came Pickett’s Charge—a desperate Confederate push to break the Union center. Cushing’s battery was the hammer pounding the anvil of advancing rebels.

At least three times wounded—bullet wounds to the face and arm—the captain refused to abandon his post. Through blood and fading strength, he directed cannon fire with unyielding precision. Staff Sergeant Charles H. Hough wrote how Cushing “would not give up his guns” despite “being borne down by death.”

His last acts were directing the final volleys that shattered that charge.

In agony and surrounded by carnage, he whispered orders until the guns fell silent only with his last breath.

Recognition: Posthumous Honor for Unsurpassed Valor

Cushing died on the field, heroism etched into the soil at Gettysburg. Yet it took over a century for his valor to gain the highest recognition. In 2014, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Captain Alonzo Cushing the Medal of Honor.

The citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a First Lieutenant and later Captain, Battery A, 4th U.S. Artillery... Cushing continued to direct his battery under heavy enemy fire despite multiple severe wounds… His actions [contributed] to a decisive Union victory.”

Lieutenant General Richard Cody, former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, called his heroism “one of the finest examples of steadfastness in combat.”

Cushing’s Medal of Honor joins the company of soldiers who faced death with unflinching courage and refused to let their piece falter.

Lessons Etched in Sacrifice and Redemption

Alonzo Cushing’s story is not about glory. It is about the brutal truth of sacrifice. His life was a ledger of wounds, grit, and faith refusing to yield.

In battle, the line between life and death is thin—but Cushing’s legacy teaches that the fight is never just about survival. It is about holding the line for others, for a cause greater than one man’s breath or blood.

His unwavering determination shines a light on the redemptive power lodged in duty and belief. In suffering and loss, there is a purpose that outlasts death.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

For veterans carrying their scars today, Cushing’s courage is a call to remember: The battle doesn’t end with wounds or darkness. Redemption waits in the steadfast heart that refuses surrender.

That gun crew at Cemetery Ridge faced an impossible storm—and one man, with blood running down his face, refused to falter. Captain Alonzo Cushing stands as a sentinel for all who stand in the breach—to endure, to fight, and to leave a legacy written in blood and honor.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: Civil War (A-L) 2. Jeffry D. Wert, Cavalryman of the Lost Cause: A Biography of J. E. B. Stuart (Simon & Schuster, 2008) 3. National Park Service, Gettysburg Battlefield Overview and Unit Histories 4. President Barack Obama, Medal of Honor Ceremony Remarks, 2014